Brock Lesnar made an immediate impact on the heavyweight division when he debuted at UFC 81.
The former WWE star impressed people with his size, athleticism and freakish strength, forcing fans to accept his status as one of the most dominant fighters in mixed martial arts.
However, those once-believers immediately changed their perspective on the 265-pound Lesnar once he was exposed to be human and became skeptical of his credibility and passion as a fighter. His victory over Shane Carwin might of shown his resilience, but the loss to Cain Velasquez potentially damaged his aura.
The former UFC heavyweight champion has always faced criticism throughout his career, but when it comes to his ability to take a punch, Lesnar believes his skills are just fine.
“I think it’s a bunch of bulls,” Lesnar told MMAFighting.com. “The fights that I’ve gotten hit, I’ve stood and banged with Heath Herring, Randy Couture, Frank Mir—I’ve taken a lot of shots. I’ve never been knocked out cold.”
Lesnar’s status will be questioned once again when he is put in the spotlight next weekend to face accomplished kickboxer, Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.
Lesnar is aware of the scrutiny from fans whenever he competes in the Octagon, however, he doesn’t see any reason to listen to the critics. After all, he said it becomes part of the territory when you are facing the best competition.
“There’s criticism. I don’t know if it’s just that people don’t like to see other people succeed, or just if they want to see them fail,” he said. “Any time you’re on top, whatever it is, and I don’t care if it’s the business world or it’s in farming or fighting—and those are all things that I’m in—there’s people out to get you.”
Lesnar and Overeem headline UFC 141 next Friday night, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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